Group 8 - China and India: Two Giants of Asia - Latin America Builds Democracy
Deng Xiaoping:
Had set china on a new path. He was a pratical reformer, more interested in improving the economy than in political purity. Tiananmen Square:
A huge public plaza at the center of china's capitol, Bejing. One-child policy:
Limited families to one child
Could not provide jobs and basic services for everyone. Mumbai:
Also could not provide jobs and basic services for everyone. Mother Teresa:
A roman catholic nun, founded the missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. Dalits:
India's constitution banned discrimination against people in the lowest caste. Import Substitution:
Manufacturing goods locally to replace imports. Agribusiness:
Giant commercial farms, often owned by multinational corporations. Liberation Theology:
Urged the church to become a force for reform. O.A.S ( Organization of American States ):
A group formed in 1948 to promote democracy, economic cooperation, and human rights in the region. Sandinistas:
A movement of socialist rebels, toppled the ruling Somoza family. Contras:
Guerrillas who fought the Sandinistas. Indigenous:
Native, population, slaughtering tens of thousands of Native Americans. Juan Peron:
Enjoyed great support from workers. Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo:
Week after week, in the Plaza de Mayo, a central plaza in Buenos Aires, the Argentina capital, women marched silently holding pictures of their missing sons and daughters.
China Reforms its Economy.
Chinese leader Mao Zedong died in 1976. After Mao's death more moderate leaders took control of China. By 1981 Deng Xiaoping had set china on a new path. Deng was a practical reformer more interested in improving the economy than in political purity. Deng welcomed foreign capital and technology. Investors from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and western nations invested heavily in Chinese firms. These economic reforms brought a surge of growth. In coastal cities, foreign investment created an economic boom. Some Chinese enjoyed an improved
standard of living. They bought televisions, refrigerators, and cars. Crime and corruption grew and a growing economic and regional gap developed between poor rural farmers and wealthy city dwellers. in the late 1980's Chinese students workers and others supported a democracy movement like those that were then sweeping eastern Europe. Deng and other communist leaders refused to allow democratic reforms. In May of 1989, thousands of demonstrators, many of them students, occupied Tiananmen square a huge plaza at the center of chinas capital, beijing. They raised banners calling for democracy. The demonstrators refused to disperse and after several days the government sent in troops and tanks. thousands of demonstrators were killed or wounded in what became known as the Tiananmen square massacre. Many were arrested and tortured.
Continuing Challenges in China.
Almost 30 years of economic reforms helped quadruple China's economic output.As of the 2000s it's economy. was the worlds second largest after the United
States. Even as China's nation faced many internal challenges. In the 1980s the governments one-child policy, which limited urban families to a single child, aimed to keep population growth from hurting economic development.
Rural families were allowed two children. Rural families that wanted more than two children had to pay fines. Population growth slowed after 1980. Many state run industries in china were unprofitable. while it sold off some of these industries the government hesitated to do away with others, fearing high unemployment rates. Urban newcomers lived in poverty and strained limited resources. Economic growth led to severally polluted air and water, causing illness and death. Travel and trade helped the spread of AIDS across china and it became a new health problem. Despite economic reforms, the communist party continued to jail critics and reject calls for political reform. Human rights activists inside and outside of china focused on many abuses, especially as china prepared to host the 2008 Olympics. They pointed to issues like the lack of free speech and the use of prison labor to produce cheap export goods. China's trading partners pressured them into ending these kinds of abuses.
India Builds Its Economy
India planned to expand their agriculture and industry by using modern technology. They used five-year plans to set economic goals and manage resources, but development was uneven. India relied mostly on expensive oil because they lacked oil and natural gas. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, promoted the Green Revolution in the 1960s. The Green Revolution was the improvement of seeds, pesticides, mechanical equipment, and farming methods in the developing world. Only farmers with enough money and land could afford this method. Their old method was to rely on seasonal rains for water and most farmers wanted to continue with this, but they produced barely enough to survive.
India shifted toward more of a free-market system in the 1980s. With this, some industries were privatized and some restrictions were eased on foreign investment. By the 1990s, Indian textiles, technology, and other industries expanded rapidly. Efforts were made to improve India's living conditions, but the growing population hurt these efforts. As the output of food rose, so did the demand for it. Over one third of India's population lived under the poverty line and it was still growing. This growing population added a lot of pressure on the healthcare system. After 1990, the healthcare system faced more challenges with the spread of AIDS.
Due to the population boom and the Green Revolution, millions of rural families moved to cities. Cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai became overcrowded and soon, jobsand basic services could not be provided for everyone living there. The Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta was founded by Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun. It was organized to help the urban poor people of India. The Indian government supported family planning, but did not use the harsh policies China had. The efforts to slow population growth had little success. Poorer Indians saw children as an economic resource who could help work the land and care for parents in old age.
Reforming Indian Society
The spread of education and the growth of modern economy was different than the traditional ways of life. These changes brought improvements for the lives of women in India and dalits. Dalits were members of India's lowest caste. A caste is an unchangeable social group which a person is born into. Jobs and places in universities were held for these people. The higher-caste Hindues normally received better schooling and jobs and sometimes blocked the government to open more jobs for dalits. Indian women were granted equal rights under the constitution and mainly in the cities, the "better off" girls were given education. Girls from poor families usually didn't receive education and if they did, it was only a little. In rural areas, women were expected to do valuable work in the household industries and farms without being paid. Now, women in India have been taking political action and seting up self-help organizations to improve their lives.
Latin America Grapples With Poverty
From the 1950's to the 1980's, economic development failed to change deep-rooted inequalities in many Latin American countries. Due to inequalities and growing populations, most countries saw little to no improvements in living standards. In Latin America nations relied a lot on a single cash crop or commodities to earn money that they needed on imports. Many Latin American countries approved the policy of import substitution. The policy was a mixed success. Many new industries needed the government or foreign capital to survive. Latin American governments gave up on imports because of the high in price.They Have now encouraged a variety of cash crops and industries that they hope will produce good for exports. In central America and Brazil, developers have cleared tropical rain forests for farmland. In many countries, a tiny elite has controlled the land , businesses, and factories. Few have opposed reforms that might undermine their position. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened. Latin America experienced a population explosion that contributed to poverty. The population of Latin America surpassed 400 million in 2000. In rural areas, population pressures made life difficult for farmers. A shortage of land drove millions of peasants to cities. More than half of Latin Americans live in cities. Some already found jobs. The Catholic church was really important across Latin America.
The Difficult Road to Democracy
Democracy was difficult to achieve in Latin American nations. From the 1950's many groups pressed for reformed. Some were liberals, socialist, urban workers, peasants, and catholic priests and nuns. All wanted to improve conditions for the poor.Conservatives resisted reforms. Between the 1950's and 1970's, as socialist unrest grew many other countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and other nations seized power.They claimed the need for order, they imposhed harsh autocratic regimes, these military reigmes outlawed political parties, censored the press, and closed universities. During this time, guerrillas and urban terrorists batttled repressive government across much of Latin America. They believed that only communism could end all inequalities. Conservatives were often supported by the United States. The United States is the regions most important investor and trading partner.United states and Latin American neighbors viewed each other very differently. The United States sees itself as the defander of democracy and free market's in the region. While Latin America both admire the wealth of the United States and resent what they see as its military, economic, and cultural domination. 1977, the u.s signed a treaty agreed to turn over control of the Panamal Canal to Panamal in 2000. It raised concern in the united states. Latin American countries welcomed it as a sign of respect. 1954, the United States helped to overthrow Guatemala democratically elected, but communist-influenced government. 1956, President John F. Kenedy's administration supported the Bay of Pigs invasion against Castro, and ever since, the United States has imposed economic sanctions on Cuba. 1973, the United States secretly backed the military coup that toppled chile's newly elected socialist president Salvador Allende, putting military dictator Augusto Pinochet in power. 1979, Nicaragua's Sandinistas toppled the ruling Somoze family.The Sandinistas introduced land reform and tried to redistribute wealth to the countrys poor.Cold War concerns were not the only reason for U.S military interventions.1989, U.S forces invaded Panama and arrested the president, for drug trafficing. Governments cooperated, but critics in Latin America allged that the main problem was the demand for illegal drugs in the United States. From 1960's into the 1980's, rebels in Guatemala fought a series of military regimes. With massive aid from outside, El Salvador's fragile democracy survived. By the 1990's pressure from democracy activists and foriegn leaders had led most military rulers to restore democracy. Under pressure the PRI made some reforms in the 1990's.In 2000, an opposition candidate, Vicente Fox, was elected president, ending PRI's long grip on power.
Struggling For Democracy in Argentina
Early 1900's, Argentina had a stable government run by a wealthy elite. As the most prosperous country in Latin America, it attracted millions of immigrants.1930's the Great Depression struck, followed by 50 years of political and economic upheavals. Between 1946 and 1955, nationalist president Juan Peron enjoyed great support from workers. He increased governments economic role, he raised wages, and backed labor unions. His policy led to major economic problems. 1976, military again seized control.as much as 20,000 people were kidnapped by the government and disappeared. By 1983, failed policies and a lost war with britain over the Falkland Islands forced the military to restore civillian rule and allow elections. 2001 finacial crisis devastaed Argentina's economy and brought widespread poverty.
Group 8 - China and India: Two Giants of Asia - Latin America Builds Democracy
Deng Xiaoping:Had set china on a new path. He was a pratical reformer, more interested in improving the economy than in political purity.
Tiananmen Square:
A huge public plaza at the center of china's capitol, Bejing.
One-child policy:
Limited families to one child
Could not provide jobs and basic services for everyone.
Mumbai:
Also could not provide jobs and basic services for everyone.
Mother Teresa:
A roman catholic nun, founded the missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.
Dalits:
India's constitution banned discrimination against people in the lowest caste.
Import Substitution:
Manufacturing goods locally to replace imports.
Agribusiness:
Giant commercial farms, often owned by multinational corporations.
Liberation Theology:
Urged the church to become a force for reform.
O.A.S ( Organization of American States ):
A group formed in 1948 to promote democracy, economic cooperation, and human rights in the region.
Sandinistas:
A movement of socialist rebels, toppled the ruling Somoza family.
Contras:
Guerrillas who fought the Sandinistas.
Indigenous:
Native, population, slaughtering tens of thousands of Native Americans.
Juan Peron:
Enjoyed great support from workers.
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo:
Week after week, in the Plaza de Mayo, a central plaza in Buenos Aires, the Argentina capital, women marched silently holding pictures of their missing sons and daughters.
China Reforms its Economy.
Chinese leader Mao Zedong died in 1976. After Mao's death more moderate leaders took control of China. By 1981 Deng Xiaoping had set china on a new path. Deng was a practical reformer more interested in improving the economy than in political purity. Deng welcomed foreign capital and technology. Investors from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and western nations invested heavily in Chinese firms. These economic reforms brought a surge of growth. In coastal cities, foreign investment created an economic boom. Some Chinese enjoyed an improved
standard of living. They bought televisions, refrigerators, and cars. Crime and corruption grew and a growing economic and regional gap developed between poor rural farmers and wealthy city dwellers. in the late 1980's Chinese students workers and others supported a democracy movement like those that were then sweeping eastern Europe. Deng and other communist leaders refused to allow democratic reforms. In May of 1989, thousands of demonstrators, many of them students, occupied Tiananmen square a huge plaza at the center of chinas capital, beijing. They raised banners calling for democracy. The demonstrators refused to disperse and after several days the government sent in troops and tanks. thousands of demonstrators were killed or wounded in what became known as the Tiananmen square massacre. Many were arrested and tortured.
Continuing Challenges in China.
Almost 30 years of economic reforms helped quadruple China's economic output.As of the 2000s it's economy. was the worlds second largest after the United
States. Even as China's nation faced many internal challenges. In the 1980s the governments one-child policy, which limited urban families to a single child, aimed to keep population growth from hurting economic development.
Rural families were allowed two children. Rural families that wanted more than two children had to pay fines. Population growth slowed after 1980. Many state run industries in china were unprofitable. while it sold off some of these industries the government hesitated to do away with others, fearing high unemployment rates. Urban newcomers lived in poverty and strained limited resources. Economic growth led to severally polluted air and water, causing illness and death. Travel and trade helped the spread of AIDS across china and it became a new health problem. Despite economic reforms, the communist party continued to jail critics and reject calls for political reform. Human rights activists inside and outside of china focused on many abuses, especially as china prepared to host the 2008 Olympics. They pointed to issues like the lack of free speech and the use of prison labor to produce cheap export goods. China's trading partners pressured them into ending these kinds of abuses.
India Builds Its Economy
India planned to expand their agriculture and industry by using modern technology. They used five-year plans to set economic goals and manage resources, but development was uneven. India relied mostly on expensive oil because they lacked oil and natural gas. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, promoted the Green Revolution in the 1960s. The Green Revolution was the improvement of seeds, pesticides, mechanical equipment, and farming methods in the developing world. Only farmers with enough money and land could afford this method. Their old method was to rely on seasonal rains for water and most farmers wanted to continue with this, but they produced barely enough to survive.
India shifted toward more of a free-market system in the 1980s. With this, some industries were privatized and some restrictions were eased on foreign investment. By the 1990s, Indian textiles, technology, and other industries expanded rapidly. Efforts were made to improve India's living conditions, but the growing population hurt these efforts. As the output of food rose, so did the demand for it. Over one third of India's population lived under the poverty line and it was still growing. This growing population added a lot of pressure on the healthcare system. After 1990, the healthcare system faced more challenges with the spread of AIDS.
Due to the population boom and the Green Revolution, millions of rural families moved to cities. Cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai became overcrowded and soon, jobsand basic services could not be provided for everyone living there. The Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta was founded by Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun. It was organized to help the urban poor people of India. The Indian government supported family planning, but did not use the harsh policies China had. The efforts to slow population growth had little success. Poorer Indians saw children as an economic resource who could help work the land and care for parents in old age.
Reforming Indian Society
The spread of education and the growth of modern economy was different than the traditional ways of life. These changes brought improvements for the lives of women in India and dalits. Dalits were members of India's lowest caste. A caste is an unchangeable social group which a person is born into. Jobs and places in universities were held for these people. The higher-caste Hindues normally received better schooling and jobs and sometimes blocked the government to open more jobs for dalits. Indian women were granted equal rights under the constitution and mainly in the cities, the "better off" girls were given education. Girls from poor families usually didn't receive education and if they did, it was only a little. In rural areas, women were expected to do valuable work in the household industries and farms without being paid. Now, women in India have been taking political action and seting up self-help organizations to improve their lives.
Latin America Grapples With Poverty
From the 1950's to the 1980's, economic development failed to change deep-rooted inequalities in many Latin American countries. Due to inequalities and growing populations, most countries saw little to no improvements in living standards. In Latin America nations relied a lot on a single cash crop or commodities to earn money that they needed on imports. Many Latin American countries approved the policy of import substitution. The policy was a mixed success. Many new industries needed the government or foreign capital to survive. Latin American governments gave up on imports because of the high in price.They Have now encouraged a variety of cash crops and industries that they hope will produce good for exports. In central America and Brazil, developers have cleared tropical rain forests for farmland. In many countries, a tiny elite has controlled the land , businesses, and factories. Few have opposed reforms that might undermine their position. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened. Latin America experienced a population explosion that contributed to poverty. The population of Latin America surpassed 400 million in 2000. In rural areas, population pressures made life difficult for farmers. A shortage of land drove millions of peasants to cities. More than half of Latin Americans live in cities. Some already found jobs. The Catholic church was really important across Latin America.
The Difficult Road to Democracy
Democracy was difficult to achieve in Latin American nations. From the 1950's many groups pressed for reformed. Some were liberals, socialist, urban workers, peasants, and catholic priests and nuns. All wanted to improve conditions for the poor.Conservatives resisted reforms. Between the 1950's and 1970's, as socialist unrest grew many other countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and other nations seized power.They claimed the need for order, they imposhed harsh autocratic regimes, these military reigmes outlawed political parties, censored the press, and closed universities. During this time, guerrillas and urban terrorists batttled repressive government across much of Latin America. They believed that only communism could end all inequalities. Conservatives were often supported by the United States. The United States is the regions most important investor and trading partner.United states and Latin American neighbors viewed each other very differently. The United States sees itself as the defander of democracy and free market's in the region. While Latin America both admire the wealth of the United States and resent what they see as its military, economic, and cultural domination. 1977, the u.s signed a treaty agreed to turn over control of the Panamal Canal to Panamal in 2000. It raised concern in the united states. Latin American countries welcomed it as a sign of respect. 1954, the United States helped to overthrow Guatemala democratically elected, but communist-influenced government. 1956, President John F. Kenedy's administration supported the Bay of Pigs invasion against Castro, and ever since, the United States has imposed economic sanctions on Cuba. 1973, the United States secretly backed the military coup that toppled chile's newly elected socialist president Salvador Allende, putting military dictator Augusto Pinochet in power. 1979, Nicaragua's Sandinistas toppled the ruling Somoze family.The Sandinistas introduced land reform and tried to redistribute wealth to the countrys poor.Cold War concerns were not the only reason for U.S military interventions.1989, U.S forces invaded Panama and arrested the president, for drug trafficing. Governments cooperated, but critics in Latin America allged that the main problem was the demand for illegal drugs in the United States. From 1960's into the 1980's, rebels in Guatemala fought a series of military regimes. With massive aid from outside, El Salvador's fragile democracy survived. By the 1990's pressure from democracy activists and foriegn leaders had led most military rulers to restore democracy. Under pressure the PRI made some reforms in the 1990's.In 2000, an opposition candidate, Vicente Fox, was elected president, ending PRI's long grip on power.
Struggling For Democracy in Argentina
Early 1900's, Argentina had a stable government run by a wealthy elite. As the most prosperous country in Latin America, it attracted millions of immigrants.1930's the Great Depression struck, followed by 50 years of political and economic upheavals. Between 1946 and 1955, nationalist president Juan Peron enjoyed great support from workers. He increased governments economic role, he raised wages, and backed labor unions. His policy led to major economic problems. 1976, military again seized control.as much as 20,000 people were kidnapped by the government and disappeared. By 1983, failed policies and a lost war with britain over the Falkland Islands forced the military to restore civillian rule and allow elections. 2001 finacial crisis devastaed Argentina's economy and brought widespread poverty.